European Union leaders agreed on its Brexit negotiation guidelines with the UK, and stated they want to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The 27 remaining EU members also affirmed that in the event of a referendum expressing support for a united Ireland, Northern Ireland would automatically re-join the EU. Upcoming negotiations will seek to agree on the rights of EU citizens living in the UK, and Britons living in the EU, as well as a settlement on the UK’s financial obligations as an EU member state.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said thank you in Irish during a visit to a school in Newry, and said she had been “uplifted” after meeting Irish language students. In February she said she would never agree to Sinn Féin’s call for an Irish language act. This week, however, Mrs Foster said she was on a “journey” when it came to the Irish language; people have “nothing to fear from engaging with another culture”. The visit, she added, had been an opportunity to “sit back and listen”.

Attempts by parties here to form electoral pacts ahead of 8 June’s Westminster election seem to have fallen by the wayside. Whereas the DUP and UUP failed to agree on standing single unionist candidates in certain constituencies across Northern Ireland, Sinn Féin dismissed an SDLP proposal to stand independent anti-Brexit candidates. In South Belfast the Green Party rejected an anti-Brexit pact when the SDLP selected its incumbent MP, Dr Alasdair McDonnell, as its candidate in the constituency. Green leader Steven Agnew said Dr McDonnell did not share the Greens’ vision for a progressive society; Dr McDonnell accused Mr Agnew of “scratching around looking for relevance.”

Prime Minister Theresa May refused to guarantee whether a Conservative government would maintain the triple lock on pensions after the general election. Instead, she has said “pensioner incomes will continue to increase”. The triple lock sees the state pension rise in line with wages, inflation or by 2.5% – whichever is highest. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has pledged that a Labour government would guarantee the triple lock and keep other pensioner benefits including the winter fuel allowance. On the topic of taxes, the PM told today’s BBC Andrew Marr Show she will not be making “specific proposals” ruling out tax rises; that is, she said, unless she is “absolutely sure” they can be delivered.

In France, the centrist candidate Emmanuel Macron (En Marche!) won the first round of the presidential election. Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen (National Front) finished second. For the first time in almost 60 years, neither of France’s two mainstream parties will have a candidate in the second round. Both candidates will go to a final run-off next Sunday, 7 May. Outgoing Socialist president, Francois Hollande threw his support behind Mr Macron. Ms Len Pen this week stepped down as FN leader in an attempt to broaden her appeal before the final vote. You can catch Northern Slant author Kerry Corbett’s analysis here: The fight for France: Round 2.